Training, training and more training

Last month we were very busy training new volunteers for the next batch of storytelling sessions. We did training on storytelling techniques as well as on the ethics of being a volunteer at St. Andrew's. It is the first time that we were able to conduct formal training with our local volunteers and it was a very fruitful experience for everyone involved. We hope to be able to get more volunteers involved as we intend to increase the number of storytelling sessions for 2009.

The training should be done at regular intervals so that people can have a chance to increase their skills on a regular basis. I hope to be able to develop my own skills further so that I can train volunteers more fully into crafting stories and voicing stories. This is something that interests me very much. Particularly how to attract the children's attention by incorporating a number of elements from their own environments. This is an area that is mentioned in a recent article by Jeremy Hsu where he explores why it is that we are fascinated by stories. His article looks at why we love a good yarn. This is one article I recommend to everyone training as a volunteer in DigiStory. It certainly inspires discussion.

Another area of training will definitely be in using Comic Life which is a software that allows children to change their photographs into a comic-strip. Older children love to be given a camera and then upload their photos to the computer to create their own comics. I anticipate much more interest in this in the future.